This is my column for the Ham & High this week:

I’ve never forgotten a woman coming to my advice surgery and sobbing her heart out. Reason? Her young son – her young black son – had been stopped by the police while he was playing Hide and Seek in the grounds of a local hospital.

His mates had run off and left him to face the music. Rotten mates! Except he hadn’t done anything except play a game we have all played – with lots of good places to hide. His mother was crying because despite the police letting him go without any further action of any sort – this record would remain on a police national database. She was sobbing because she knew that when he grew up – if he applied for a job that required an enhanced criminal record bureau check – this ‘soft’ information would come up and might harm his job prospects.

Now I don’t know the boy – but his potential to employer, his ability to earn and his future might be entirely changed (and not for the better) by that simple bit of information from years before.

The Home Secretary and I have commissioned an independent review of Criminal Records Bureau checks. Obviously if someone is charged and convicted you would expect that information to remain on the police database – and it does. But in the area of ‘soft’ information (ie non-conviction information) at present this remains on the database too. And ‘soft’ information varies – anything from the above incident of playing Hide and Seek – to the sort of ‘soft’ information about Ian Huntley – the murderer in the Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman murder in Soham..

In the wake of Soham, we were all so horrified by what had happened – that child protection concerns resulted in the introduction of the Vetting and Barring Scheme. All those who would wish to work with vulnerable adults and children had to go through this scheme (which would include CRB checks) to be vetted and if necessary barred from such work. Lists are kept of those who are barred from such work by the scheme.

The consequences of this scheme would have been nine million people having to register – had it become fully operational.

So – the allied action the Government is taking is a review of the Vetting and Barring Scheme to scale it back – as per the coalition agreement – to common sense levels. We are just in the process of setting the Terms of Reference for this review.

The world of suspicious minds we all inadvertently created went too far. Together, these two reviews, Vetting and Barring and the Criminal Records checks, will help us get the balance right.

This was a first! To celebrate the inaugural Attestation of Haringey Police Constables.

I’ve been before to passing out parades at Hendon – when new recruits complete their initial eighteen week training. But after that – they are allocated boroughs – and after two years probation become fully fledged Police Constables.

This was a ceremony to celebrate the completion of their probation. Thirty-eight young (and some not so young) men and women (and there were a lot of young women) recited the Attestation itself and then came up to receive their certificates.

Congratulations to all of them. 

I spent an hour after the ceremony talking to some of the constables and their families. A hugely bright cohort – they were full of ideas about a whole range of things in the police – of which I have since made copious notes.

On Wednesday I will be attending on behalf of the Home Secretary the 25th Anniversary of the Death of PC Keith Blakelock. There will be a parade and a wreath laying. A sober reminder of how those who serve do literally put their lives on the line to keep us safe.

So we should be all the more grateful that so many young people want to enter the police service and do it for all the right reasons. It was a very heartwarming occasion.

It was a surprise when Ros Scott announced that she was not going to stand for another term as LibDem Party President. She has done a fantastic job – up and down the country – exhorting, helping, challenging and supporting local parties. Thank you Ros!

So – there’s a vacancy.

I am thrilled that Susan Kramer has put her hat in the ring for this – and I am supporting her 100%.

She will take on the mantle of caring and loving party members and local parties themselves the length of this land. In this brave new world of coalition – we need someone like Susan who has the time, the energy and the commitment to look after the Party, the local parties, the individual members and be a strong voice for Party members.

Go Susan!

Today sees the commencement of the Equality Act.

Having taken the Act through parliament for the Liberal Democrats (all three parties supported the Bill) it is a great pleasure to see it come into force.

For details just click on this link.

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) is the independent body that aims to get the best out of the Met police. When I was a London Assembly Member – I was on the MPA for the whole five years I was there. It really does hold the Met to account – so definitely worth taking part in this survey.

The MPA try and ensure that all of London has a voice and the needs of Londoners are taken into account, especially when they set the annual policing priorities for the Met. To do this they consult as widely as possible and they want you to help.

Their ‘Have your say’ survey lets you to give your top three priorities for policing London and to suggest what the police should do to tackle them.

To complete the survey – either giving your name or anonymously – please complete the questionnaire online at: http://surveys.mpa.gov.uk/v.asp?i=22753hocwi

Alternatively you can call 020 7202 0063 to request a paper questionnaire or to complete the questionnaire over the telephone with one of our staff – whichever suits you best.